


crusader

by allechant



Category: Vocaloid
Genre: Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-10
Updated: 2020-09-10
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:15:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26391775
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allechant/pseuds/allechant
Summary: the last thing she needed was an annoying superhero hitting on her at every available opportunity. didn't he have anything better to do?
Relationships: Hatsune Miku/Kagamine Len
Comments: 6
Kudos: 22





	crusader

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kttriangle (midnight4568)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/midnight4568/gifts).



Miku took a deep breath, hiding the cookies behind her back. Chocolate chip, just the way he liked it – or at least, that’s what she _heard_ he liked.

Truthfully, she didn’t know much about Kagamine Len, but then again no one seemed to really _know_ him. He was the perfect employee – smart, high-performing, a charismatic leader. But outside of the office, his life and his preferences were a complete enigma.

She peeked at his desk. There was already a small pile of chocolates forming, and she glanced around, making sure no one was looking in her direction. Nodding to herself, she approached his cubicle, trying to appear as natural as possible – her hand darted out, dropping the cookies, and she continued past his seat, heaving a sigh of relief. No one had noticed her.

It wasn’t that she was _ashamed_ of giving cookies to Len or anything like that. She just didn’t want to be teased about her office crush. It was difficult enough seeing him on her floor every day, knowing full well he had no idea who she was.

Just then, she heard high-pitched giggling and she turned around to see Len walking down the corridor, accompanied by two women she didn’t recognise. Probably from another floor, then. The three of them were chatting, and Miku wondered what they were talking about – there was a gorgeous smile on his face, and he looked _mesmerising_. She couldn’t take her eyes off him.

Deciding it’d be best not to cross paths with them, she hurried back to her cubicle, glancing at Len as she settled into her seat. Her heart jumped to her throat when her gaze met icy blue – he narrowed his eyes, looking like he wanted to say something, but then one of the women called his name and he turned away. Miku let out the breath she’d been holding.

She thought, for a frantic moment, about whether he had somehow _recognised_ her – but no. Impossible. She didn’t think there was anyone else around last night.

“Oh. What a surprise.” She looked up and saw him standing at his cubicle, staring down at his chocolate-covered desk. He certainly didn’t _look_ surprised. “I forgot it’s Valentine’s Day…”

He probably experienced the same thing every year, now that she thought about it. Len sighed. “Anyone want these?” he asked, picking up her gift. Her heart sank as he undid the ribbon and began handing out her cookies to nearby colleagues. Those cookies were handmade!

But who was she trying to kid? She’d be lying if she said she hadn’t expected this outcome. He was Kagamine Len, after all. Accomplished and perfect. And she was just…her.

* * *

Lunchtime came, and Miku’s heart, although still aching, had recovered enough for her to start thinking about her meal. Maybe she’d just grab something from the staff cafeteria today.

Making up her mind, she left her desk and went down to the cafeteria. It wasn’t too crowded – most people preferred to leave the office to eat, and anyway it was still rather early – so she got in line and stared up at the menu, trying to decide what to get today.

It took her a while to notice that the man in front of her was blond, and she flinched back when she realised who he was. Of all people, of all days, why _him_? Why now? Len was looking up at the menu as well, and he didn’t appear to have seen her yet. Maybe she should sneak away…

Then she shook her head. Fine, this morning was kind of embarrassing, but he didn’t know the cookies were hers anyway and now that she had this rare opportunity, she ought to say hello. After all, they were colleagues. Even without her secret crush, she should try to be friendly.

“Um. Hi. You’re Len, right?” she tried, wincing when her voice squeaked – he glanced down at her, one eyebrow raised. He didn’t look creeped out or anything yet, which she supposed was a good sign. “My name is Hatsune Miku! I work on the same floor as you…”

“I know. I’ve seen you around.” He cocked his head. “Do you have any business with me?”

“No! Not really. I just – well, since we’re working on the same floor, I thought I’d say hello. Get to know my colleagues and things like that.” She hoped she didn’t come across as desperate. Even if she kind of was. “And you’re amazing at your work, so I was hoping for…um, tips.”

“Tips?” He frowned, and inwardly she panicked – had she said something dumb? Maybe she wasn’t supposed to ask people for tips at work? Had she committed some kind of office faux pas? God, did he think she was stupid? “I don’t have any. Just try your best, I suppose.”

She didn’t know how to continue the conversation. “Oh. Um. I…that’s helpful?” In the back of her head, she wondered if she could just dig a hole and hide in there for the rest of the day.

He gave her a strange look but didn’t respond. She couldn’t blame him. Desperately, she tried to think of a way to retain his attention, and her mouth moved all on its own. “You look so tired! Was it because of the battle last night? Tempest caused a huge ruckus fighting that monster.”

Len blinked. “Tempest?” And immediately she regretted bringing that up. Maybe he thought it was lame to pay attention to the superheroes. What was she, a five-year-old? Len was one of the best employees in this company; he probably spent his night at some fancy restaurant or on a hot date or something. Only weirdos would talk about the heroes – “You think so?”

She paused. “Huh?” Then what he said sank in, and her mind blanked out – she hadn’t thought about what to say beyond this. “Um, yeah. I think so. I barely got any sleep last night…”

His eyes narrowed, and she swallowed. Did she say something wrong? “He stopped that sea serpent from doing more damage to the town centre, though. If not our company would have been entirely flooded this morning. Assuming it’s even left standing, that is.”

“He could have just waited for Monsoon, though,” she pointed out. “Monsoon is the one with the water powers. She could have cleaned everything up without all the mess.”

“Monsoon always takes far too long to show up. Who knows how much more damage would have been done if Tempest waited?” He regarded her curiously. “Are you a fan of Monsoon?”

“I guess so?” She glanced away from him, feeling her cheeks warm. “She advocates for peace and tries to prevent Tempest from razing the city. I think more people should appreciate that.”

“Even though Tempest is the one who usually defends us from monsters and villains?” He was taking this conversation remarkably seriously, and she didn’t quite know how to respond. Most people didn’t bother to talk about the heroes this way – they’d share photos and gossip, they’d speculate over the heroes’ identities, but they _never_ debated what was right or wrong.

“I think there’s more to being a hero than just destructive might.” She hesitated. “And Tempest, for all his abilities, sometimes causes more harm than good. At least that’s how I feel.”

She didn’t want to say this at first since Len sounded like a Tempest fan but it was the first time she’d met anyone as interested in the heroes as she was, and she wanted to share her opinion, no matter how unpopular it was. What harm would it cause? Len barely knew her anyway.

Len didn’t say anything for a moment. She wondered if he was thinking over her words, or if he simply thought she was so dumb that she was no longer worth his attention. Finally, he cleared his throat. “This is the first time I’ve heard someone say this. Most people idolise Tempest and his strength. Monsoon is weaker than him and boring in comparison, so I never thought about her way of dealing with problems. But…I suppose you’re not entirely wrong.”

She felt a little flutter in her chest at his acknowledgement, no matter how grudging it sounded. “I wish more people would understand that Monsoon’s unwillingness to destroy doesn’t make her _weak_. It’s something she’s given interviews on before. She just doesn’t think it’s right.”

“What are you, president of Monsoon’s fan club?” She couldn’t tell if he was joking or not, but she averted her gaze anyway, suddenly embarrassed. “Though it wouldn’t be surprising, given the way you copied her hair colour. I’ve seen too many girls with teal hair recently.”

“I didn’t dye my hair! I was born this way,” she protested. She had seen the girls he was talking about and it bothered her how readily teal hair was accepted nowadays. She’d spent her entire childhood trying to avoid the bullies who called her seaweed head. Sometimes worse.

“Huh. Really.” He sounded disbelieving, but his gaze lingered on her hair and she wound a lock of it around her finger, self-conscious. “I still think Tempest does more for the city, but it’s good to know that Monsoon has her supporters. I was beginning to feel a little sorry for her.”

“You don’t have to be so rude. She’s trying her best.” Miku frowned. It was one thing to talk down to _her_ , but she didn’t want to hear any insults about Monsoon.

“I know she is.” He paused. “What did you say your name was again? Hatsune Miku?”

She nodded, her heart pounding in her chest. He gave her a dazzling smile, and suddenly she was struck mute. “Thanks for the talk, Miku. It’s nice to discuss the heroes sometimes.”

He waved at her as he walked towards the counter, and limply she waved back, wondering if she had just imagined that entire exchange. Then she shook her head and looked back up at the menu, having completely forgotten what she wanted to order for lunch.

Sure, Len had talked to her and that went a lot better than she expected, but she wasn’t dumb enough to believe it meant anything. They’d probably never speak again. But still. It felt nice.

Len glanced over his shoulder at Miku as he left the cafeteria. Maybe he _wasn’t_ working with a bunch of idiots after all. He wondered if it was possible to get her transferred to his team.

* * *

Monsoon showed up just in time to see Tempest bat the giant bird away with a fallen building.

She sighed. What else did she expect? This was _Tempest_ they were talking about. He didn’t have the faintest idea what subtlety was. She’d be lucky if she didn’t have to spend another night cleaning up after him. What did he think she was, his maid or something?

Well, maybe that _was_ her fault. She frowned. Most citizens preferred Tempest over her. While popularity wasn’t something she cared much about, it did affect their public image, and most people seemed to believe that she was his sidekick of sorts. Though she wasn’t.

So what if their powers happened to work well together? She worked with him _once_ and she didn’t intend to ever again. He was insufferable. Oh, she wished the citizens knew what their precious hero was like in the dead of the night when the monsters were beaten and she –

“Oh, look who’s here!” Great. She took a deep breath and turned, trying to control her temper. Most of the time she was relatively serene, but there was just _something_ about Tempest that never failed to rile her up. “Gorgeous as always. Mm. How _do_ you maintain that figure?”

“What’s the damage, Tempest?” she deadpanned, trying not to react to his blatant flirting. Did he not have anyone else he could hit on? She was the only hero he spoke to this way, and that bothered her. He cocked his head, thinking about it, and she tried not to glare at him.

Maybe she would find Tempest more attractive if he wasn’t such an asshole.

Granted, he was handsome – silky blond hair, eyes like frost and a suit that hugged all the right places, revealing how toned he was. His mask was steely grey in line with his theme, and if she had to admit it, he _did_ look like the personification of a storm – electric and awe-inspiring and downright beautiful. But good looks didn’t matter more than a pure heart.

And Tempest, if anything, was the complete opposite of pure. “You’re always so uptight, love,” he purred. “You know, the offer I made still stands. My home will always be open to you. For one night, for two nights – for however long you’d like.” His eyes glittered behind his mask.

“Thanks but no thanks. I’d rather not get involved with someone whose idea of heroism is to destroy half the city.” She placed her hands on her hips, ignoring his pout. “You know I don’t have all night. Just tell me where the damage is and I’ll fix it.”

 _You ungrateful little swine_. But she didn’t say that out loud, of course. Tempest grinned. “Sure, darling. Whatever you want.” He held out a hand, bowing exaggeratedly, and with another sigh she took it. Without warning, he swept her feet out from under her, laughing at her undignified squeak as he gathered her into his arms. Then he sprang into the air.

The only thing Monsoon envied about Tempest was his ability to fly. She always thought flying was fun, but she refused to tell him that. He’d either rub his powers in her face or invite her on some midnight date through the skies, and frankly, she didn’t know which would be worse.

But right now, she could feel the wind in her face, ruffling her hair, and she savoured the fresh air, unable to help the smile curving her lips.

Tempest brought her to the outskirts of the city, which was rare for him – he usually couldn’t be bothered to lure the monster or whatever he was fighting that night to the less populated areas. She wondered if he had finally developed a conscience, then shook her head. Probably nothing but a coincidence. “Looks pretty bad,” she said, surveying the damage from the air.

“Mm, I tried not to make _too_ much of a mess this time. Don’t want those worry lines to set into my darling’s face.” He winked at her, and she scowled back, tempted to tell him that she was _no one’s_ darling. She decided against it in the end, not wanting to waste her breath.

“Okay, please put me down. I need to fix this.” She looked at the heap of buildings, leaning on each other like a row of fallen dominos. This was probably where his makeshift bat came from. “Would it kill you not to make such a fuss for just _one night_? I need to sleep, you know.”

“Do you? I always thought you were nocturnal. I mean, it’s a thing, right? The moon and the tides and stuff. Don’t you get stronger the closer it is to a full moon?”

“That’s related to the phases of the moon. It’s nothing to do with my sleep patterns.” She could feel the beginnings of a headache coming on. “Could you just put me down, please?”

He acquiesced, albeit grudgingly, and she was relieved to feel solid ground underneath her feet again. “One day you’re going to stress me out so much I’ll suffer a stroke. Monsoon, paralysed at the age of twenty-four. Imagine the headlines,” she muttered, brushing dust off her suit.

“Then everyone will find out who you are, right?” She could see his blue eyes gleaming behind his mask. “I have to admit that I’m curious about your identity. I mean, you’re gorgeous and so _smart_ and incredibly talented…if only I knew where you worked for your day job.”

“So you can stalk me? Dream on, Tempest.” She lifted her hands, and the surrounding rubble began to float towards her, obeying her silent instructions. She directed the debris towards a nearby building, willing it to rise anew – there was the grinding, almost painful sound of metal shifting, and the building began to repair itself, bits and pieces stacking up like Lego bricks.

“No matter how many times I see this, it never fails to impress me.” Tempest was staring at the building, and she glanced at him, taken aback by his sudden honesty. It felt sincere, which was a nice change from his usual empty flattery. “I guess I have loads to be grateful for, huh?”

“Why the sudden sentimentality?” It wasn’t like he’d ever thanked her before. Most of the time, Tempest took her cleaning for granted. He seemed more surprised when she _didn’t_ show up, rather than vice-versa. She ought to charge him a reparation fee.

“Hm. I had an interesting conversation earlier.” Tempest waved a hand, and she watched as one of the fallen buildings was forced upright by a concentrated blast of wind, so fierce that she could feel its force from where she stood. She gaped. This was the first time he bothered to help her with anything. He was usually content to let her finish up on her own.

“What was it about?” She watched as the wind, now far too strong, began to demolish the building. Tempest immediately clenched his fingers to cut the wind off, and they stared in silence as the building crumpled again, this time in worse shape than it was earlier.

“Oops.” He shot her an apologetic grin, and though he’d just created a mess that she would have to spend even _longer_ cleaning up, she found that she appreciated the attempt. “It’s way harder than it looks, isn’t it? I don’t know how you have the patience for it.”

“Restoration is part of my powers, so it comes easily to me.” She stretched out a hand, and waves of blue light pulsed towards the rubble, bathing the wreckage in a gentle glow. “But it doesn’t make me your servant, you know. I’m tired of following you around.”

“What do you propose that I do, then?” he asked, sitting cross-legged in midair. He sounded sincere, and she hesitated. She was so _unused_ to Tempest being anything but playful. It was rare to see him care about something, much less minimising the havoc his powers caused.

It wasn’t entirely his fault. She knew that. Tempest’s powers were destructive and awesome – that was why he was such a popular hero. Because he was handsome and flashy and seeing him in action was like watching a movie. He had little control over his range, and he had told her once that even a fraction of his strength could probably destroy a city block.

But that didn’t mean he shouldn’t _try_. By going to quiet areas. By luring the monster away. Or even by waiting for the less destructive heroes to show up and settle the fight. It wouldn’t take away his glory, but it would hurt fewer people overall. She wished he would understand that. But he was always more interested in flirting with her than listening to what she had to say.

“You know what to do, Tempest. Deep down, you know,” she said. He stared at her and for a while, neither of them said a word. Finally, he cleared his throat.

“I suppose I do. Kind of.” He reached for her hand, and she jolted, too surprised to pull away. “I never treated you like a game, you know. And from now on, I’m going to prove that to you.”

She rolled her eyes. “You aren’t going to move me just because you tried to repair _one_ building, Tempest. You’re all words and no action.”

“Well, I simply have to convince you of otherwise, then.” He grinned, lifting her hand to his lips, and she froze at the sensation of his soft mouth against her skin. “Just give me some direction and I’ll figure out this whole restoration thing before you know it. I’m Tempest, after all.”

“Yes, you’re Tempest. More known for tearing things down than building them up.” She shook her head, though she _was_ a little amused by his proclamation. “I wish you had that interesting conversation of yours earlier if that’s all it took to kickstart your sudden desire to change.”

“Hm. I guess…it wasn’t really what the person said that interested me, you know?” He flipped over, his fringe hanging off his forehead, his arms folded across his chest. “She – how do I say this? She reminded me of you, somehow. I can’t quite put a finger on why. Maybe it’s the hair.”

“Teal hair?” It was common nowadays, and while she was _fine_ with people copying her hair, it didn’t make her feel any better about her past. She tried not to let her discontentment show.

“Yeah. But she claimed it was natural.” Tempest shrugged, then met her gaze, studying her. “I immediately thought of you. Probably a coincidence, but for a moment, I hoped…” He paused, then shook his head. “Never mind. Just tell me what to do and I’ll do it for you, sweetheart.”

There was something strange about the way he was looking at her. She shifted, a little nervous. “Maybe you can use your powers to push all the debris together. It’ll make things easier later.”

He nodded, flying away, and she let out a breath she didn’t know she had been holding. It felt like just a moment longer and they might have blurted out their citizen identities, and that was a _huge_ taboo in the superhero community. It simply wasn’t something they ever talked about.

Revealing her name meant letting someone new into her life, someone who was also involved in the dark underbelly of society. It meant hurting people dear to her – her family, her friends, even Tempest himself if she ever told him the truth. He should know that too.

Well, forget it. She was Monsoon now, and she had more pressing problems to solve. Turning around, she looked for Tempest and saw him rolling a few concrete slabs down the road. She smiled. It was nice to see him pulling his weight for once, and she hoped it would last.

Tempest looked up then and met her gaze, waving at her – she waved back, and she thought that if he behaved like this more often, _maybe_ she would start to take his advances seriously. Though that was something she’d consider another day.

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for commissioning me, kat ♡ and sorry this took so long, i had an awful creative slump but i'm back now haha.
> 
> talk to me on [twitter](https://mobile.twitter.com/dontenchantme)


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